her mind.
By evening, she’d almost succeeded in not thinking about it at all. Cam showed up at seven-thirty with a sackful of barbecue. He was tired and she was hungry, so their dinner conversation lagged.
It was nearly eight when she heard Mike pull the car into the back. Red hurried to greet them at the gate. But there was not much greeting to be done. Both children, run ragged with activity and overfed on junk food, were sound asleep in the car.
“Can you get Livy?” he asked her.
Red nodded, but she didn’t attempt to carry the girl. She shook her awake and led her, zombielike, across the patio and up the apartment stairs. Mike followed with a still-sleeping Daniel slung against his shoulder.
In the bedroom, Mike laid Daniel on the bed and pulled off the boy’s sneakers. “I’ll…I’ll let you do whatever needs to be done,” he said and made a hasty retreat.
Red wasn’t exactly sure what had to be done. She led Olivia into the bathroom, removed her clothes and made her sit onthe toilet as she washed the little girl’s face and hands with a washcloth. She brought her a nightgown and then led her back to the bed and tucked her in.
Red glanced across at Daniel. He was lying there so peacefully. Red was torn. She hated to disturb him, but she remembered how long Bridge had wet the bed and how much her young daughter had been humiliated and embarrassed by that failing. With a sigh, she dragged Daniel up and into the bathroom.
By the time both children were snugly in bed, Red realized that she was tired herself. But she headed downstairs, eager to hear the plans for the days ahead.
The guys were not on the patio, but she could see a light on in the bar and she followed it inside. The two men sat on either end of the bar, a bottle of Shiner Bock in front of each.
“What’s the deal? Nobody drinks draft anymore?” she asked, indicating the bottles.
“Do you want me to draw you one?” Cam asked.
She waved him away as she went behind the bar. “No, thanks, I’ll fix something for myself,” she said.
A half minute later she heard Mike chuckle and glanced over at him.
“Are you still drinking iced tea disguised in a highball glass?” he asked her. Without giving her time to answer, he directed his words to Cam. “Did you know that about her? The woman is a genuine teetotaler. Don’t touch a drop of alcohol.”
Mike’s words were spoken like some kind of challenge, as if to say, You think you know this woman, but I know her better. Red found herself hoping that it wasn’t true.
“Don’t act like you’re an expert on me,” Red told him. “It’s not like you’re my ex, Mike. Just my ex-son-in-law.”
Mike shrugged. “Okay,” he agreed. “I just wanted sonny-boy to know the lay of the land. You’ve thrown away more guys like him than he’s ever even met.”
Denial sprang to Red’s tongue. She wanted to tell Mike that there was nobody like Cam and that what she had with him was very special, but she feared it wasn’t true. Instead of defending herself, defending Cam, she changed the subject.
“We could talk all night about your ex-wife’s mama,” Red said. “But I’m more interested in your own mama. How’s she doing?”
Mike nodded. “She’s still not able to do any talking, but the doctors are pretty hopeful. She seemed thrilled to see the kids and they pretty much filled the room with chatter, so she didn’t need to say anything.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah, I think so,” he agreed. “They’re moving her to a rehabilitation facility on Monday or Tuesday. It’s by the medical center, but I’m hoping you can get the kids over there to see her while she’s there.”
His words momentarily caught Red up short. “How long are the kids going to be here?” she asked.
“Until Bridge gets back,” Mike said. “My mother is not going to be in any shape to take them.”
“I wasn’t thinking about her, I was thinking about you,” Red said. “Aren’t you
By evening, she’d almost succeeded in not thinking about it at all. Cam showed up at seven-thirty with a sackful of barbecue. He was tired and she was hungry, so their dinner conversation lagged.
It was nearly eight when she heard Mike pull the car into the back. Red hurried to greet them at the gate. But there was not much greeting to be done. Both children, run ragged with activity and overfed on junk food, were sound asleep in the car.
“Can you get Livy?” he asked her.
Red nodded, but she didn’t attempt to carry the girl. She shook her awake and led her, zombielike, across the patio and up the apartment stairs. Mike followed with a still-sleeping Daniel slung against his shoulder.
In the bedroom, Mike laid Daniel on the bed and pulled off the boy’s sneakers. “I’ll…I’ll let you do whatever needs to be done,” he said and made a hasty retreat.
Red wasn’t exactly sure what had to be done. She led Olivia into the bathroom, removed her clothes and made her sit onthe toilet as she washed the little girl’s face and hands with a washcloth. She brought her a nightgown and then led her back to the bed and tucked her in.
Red glanced across at Daniel. He was lying there so peacefully. Red was torn. She hated to disturb him, but she remembered how long Bridge had wet the bed and how much her young daughter had been humiliated and embarrassed by that failing. With a sigh, she dragged Daniel up and into the bathroom.
By the time both children were snugly in bed, Red realized that she was tired herself. But she headed downstairs, eager to hear the plans for the days ahead.
The guys were not on the patio, but she could see a light on in the bar and she followed it inside. The two men sat on either end of the bar, a bottle of Shiner Bock in front of each.
“What’s the deal? Nobody drinks draft anymore?” she asked, indicating the bottles.
“Do you want me to draw you one?” Cam asked.
She waved him away as she went behind the bar. “No, thanks, I’ll fix something for myself,” she said.
A half minute later she heard Mike chuckle and glanced over at him.
“Are you still drinking iced tea disguised in a highball glass?” he asked her. Without giving her time to answer, he directed his words to Cam. “Did you know that about her? The woman is a genuine teetotaler. Don’t touch a drop of alcohol.”
Mike’s words were spoken like some kind of challenge, as if to say, You think you know this woman, but I know her better. Red found herself hoping that it wasn’t true.
“Don’t act like you’re an expert on me,” Red told him. “It’s not like you’re my ex, Mike. Just my ex-son-in-law.”
Mike shrugged. “Okay,” he agreed. “I just wanted sonny-boy to know the lay of the land. You’ve thrown away more guys like him than he’s ever even met.”
Denial sprang to Red’s tongue. She wanted to tell Mike that there was nobody like Cam and that what she had with him was very special, but she feared it wasn’t true. Instead of defending herself, defending Cam, she changed the subject.
“We could talk all night about your ex-wife’s mama,” Red said. “But I’m more interested in your own mama. How’s she doing?”
Mike nodded. “She’s still not able to do any talking, but the doctors are pretty hopeful. She seemed thrilled to see the kids and they pretty much filled the room with chatter, so she didn’t need to say anything.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah, I think so,” he agreed. “They’re moving her to a rehabilitation facility on Monday or Tuesday. It’s by the medical center, but I’m hoping you can get the kids over there to see her while she’s there.”
His words momentarily caught Red up short. “How long are the kids going to be here?” she asked.
“Until Bridge gets back,” Mike said. “My mother is not going to be in any shape to take them.”
“I wasn’t thinking about her, I was thinking about you,” Red said. “Aren’t you
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